Girl In Time
by justanotherwriterT
Summary: Santana is a loner. It isn't because she's an outcast or on the bottom of the food chain like the glee kids. In fact everyone wants to get to know the mysterious and extremely beautiful latina but she doesn't give anyone the time of day. She has her reasons but the most important one is that she has a secret; she has the ability to stop time. (Short MultiFic)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee sadly but eh... I own this story so Kudos to me right? :)**

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**Ch. 1 **_A__ Near Death Experience_

For as long as I could remember I had the ability to temporarily stop time. The first time my ability manifested itself, it was by accident. It happened miraculously when I got really frustrated one day in primary school. At first, I was too engrossed in trying to fix my sloppy hand-writing skills to notice immediately that the people around me had soundly become deathly silent but once it did register that the kids in my class were no longer yelling so loudly, I looked up. Everyone was stalk still in their positions and I thought it was a game, like Simon says, so I laughed and played along. I stayed in place for what felt like forever but eventually I got tired of staying frozen and rose my hand so my teacher could see me. She didn't even bat an eye in my direction.

"_Miss Libby? Miss Libby?_", I called politely yet she didn't answer. I was confused. I waved my hand around wildly and when that didn't get an answer I stood up and shouted. "**_MISS LIBBY!_**", I called and like a switch everyone was back to chattering but they immediately quieted when they heard me. My teacher snapped up from her crouching position near someone's desk and gave me a stern look.

"_Santana!_ what has gotten into you? You know there is no yelling in this classroom. You could have easily rose your hand to get my attention", she scolded and I scowled.

"_I did!_", I said indignantly and my friend Theodore to my left made an '_ooo_' noise. Miss Libby crossed her arms before turning around to walk over to her desk.

"_Santana_ I was right here. You did not raise your hand. You stood up and _yelled_ at the top of your lungs, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to change your color because of your behavior", she said crossly and I let out a gasp.

"No!", I whined. "You can't! I'm always on green for being good", I complained and my teacher turned to me with a disapproving look.

"Well today you're not being very good, now take your seat", she demanded seriously and my fellow classmates snickered at my expense. My face burned in embarrassment and I took a seat.

That day was just the beginning of my problems in school. By the time I reached fourth grade, I was known as the trouble making child for always ending up in the worst positions or scenarios. My dad, fed up with my '_excuses_' as to how I ended up in places I wasn't supposed to be; moved me to my abuela's house in Ohio to receive some discipline. I got more than that. I was subjected to tough love by my grandma by day and taught control over my; at the time, uncontrollable time stopping skill by night from my grandpa. He knew immediately what I was going through when I cried to him one night and he tried to explain things to me as best he could. Apparently my skill, as he called it; was an unnatural and very unexplainable ability that was passed down to every other Lopez in our family. For example: his abuelo had it but not his papi, he had it but not my papi, and now I had it so my children would not, but my kid's kid would and so on.

It was very confusing learning about it as a child but I eventually got this gist of it. He taught me everything he knew and how he handled certain things. First rule was not to use the ability for personal gain; which I didn't fully understand because I was ten when he was telling me these things. Second rule was to keep calm because strong emotions caused our ability to occur involuntarily. Third and most important rule was to keep the skill secret. He said it wouldn't do me any good to call any attention to myself. I loved my grandpa dearly so his words were law.

My abuelo explained that I could stop time for three minutes if it was forced at a split second; or in case of an emergency. I could stop time for five minutes if it was brought on involuntarily or leisurely done. Anything more than seven minutes would be accompanied with great consequences. A.K.A_ migraines, fainting, intense nosebleeds, etcetera etcetera..._

I listened to my grandpa's teachings throughout the years. I practiced and I _failed_, but I never stopped trying again and again. With time and _plenty_ of trial and error, I could pull off seven in and half minutes with just an unbearable throbbing in my skull. My grandpa was so very proud of me and I strived to be somebody to be proud of till the day he died; I was twelve. The official reports say that the young woman stated that she swerved off the road because of a piece of shrapnel pierced her tire. She caught a flat, lost control of the vehicle and was supposed to hit a sign but miraculously when she blinked she was no longer in her car. She was a couple feet away from her car that was up in flames and my abuelo laid out next to her with cuts on his arms and a bloody nose. The coronary says he died from a heart attack caused by old age and the cuts could've happened from flying glass but I knew the truth. He died because he forced the time longer than he should have for some _stranger..._

As years passed on, my abuela's tough love just became tough as she was stricken with grief but I still loved her. I understood it was hard for her now so I became reserved. I felt like interacting with people would make me care, and caring for people would get me killed so I stuck to myself, kept calm, and moved on in my life.

* * *

_Four Years Later..._

I slapped my alarm clock the second it began blaring loudly. I sat up with a disgruntled grumble before rolling out of my bed and blearily making my way to my bathroom. I turned the correct nozzles, quickly shed my clothes and entered the cold shower just as fast. I didn't flinch at the water raining down on me, I just scrubbed myself quickly with my soapy loofah, rinsed off then got out. Once out, I dried myself off, did my hair, got dressed, then headed downstairs to greet my prickly grandmother. She was up already and itching to sneer something at me.

"Hurry up_ cara de basura_", she stated as she pressed a pop tart package to my stomach. The insult rolled off of me since I was used to them and instead of feeling like I was worthless, I rolled my eyes before squinting them. I felt a tiny tugging sensation inside my head before I realized the time had stopped.

I kissed my abuela on the cheek because I knew she couldn't throttle me for it as she was, then walked away with my pop tart. Only in these frozen moments would I dare to show my abuela any type of love or affection. I let out an even breath and listened intently as the once quiet world came back to life. It felt too loud so I popped in my ear buds then kept on my way. Today was the beginning of my sophomore year at McKinley High and hopefully everything would be a lot easier than the previous year.

Not that it was exceptionally hard last year but it was beyond annoying and tedious. My time as a freshman was spent ignoring advances from guys and girls alike. I was in no mood to make friends, I just wanted to do my work and go back to my grandma by the end of the day so I kept to myself. I maintained excellent grades for my abuela though she didn't care, and evaded teachers like Mr. Schue and Coaches like Sue Sylvester because they persistently hounded me to join their club or team. I also had to keep up my guard while walking in the halls. McKinley had the most immature brats to ever exist and I spent half my time stopping situations just at the right moments to keep myself relatively less angry. There was Noah Puckerman who would try to corner me in the morning and Dave Karofsky who walked around the halls trying to slushy anyone he deemed unpopular. He hasn't gotten to me though; every time he tries, I involuntarily stop time from sheer instinct. It's grating to see Dave Karofsky's cup aimed in my direction every other day so I always make sure to knee him in the balls and use the very same slushy he had for me to use against him; just before restarting time. I developed quite a reputation on that feat alone, so no one other than Dave(_he hated my guts..._) really fucked with me.

_Everyone thinks I'm some speedy mysterious she-bitch from hell or whatever..._

I laughed to myself at the thought as I waited at the cross walk. I kept my gaze downward and bobbed my head lightly to the light jazz playing in my ear. I looked up slightly when I noticed there was no cars anymore. I looked back down then walked along the road but the sound of a blaring horn caused my instinct to kick in. Instantly the world was at a stand still and as I looked up I was shocked to see a van so close to my face. I scowled at the panicked looking driver's frozen face and leisurely moved away.

_That was fucking close..._

"Damn... did I take the wrong pills again... Its like time really stopped", a voice spoke up from ahead and I snapped my head in its direction. My eyes landed on a blonde wearing McKinley's Cheerios outfit.

_How is she moving?_

It was impossible that she was moving. This was something my abuelo had briefly brought up. He said once I stopped time, everyone was frozen, but here was the blonde proving my abuelo's words _wrong_ and I frowned. I stared at the blonde intently and as if feeling my eyes on her she focused on me. Her face was fixed in a blank expression but her eyes lit up when she noticed me. I stared harder, trying to figure this girl out. I was so focused on her that I didn't realize my three minute time stop was up and I ignored the screeching tires I faintly heard behind me. The blonde girl sent me a smile that made weird feelings arise in my stomach so I turned away. I put my ear buds back in my ears that had fallen out and continued on my route, trying hard to ignore the feeling of being watched.

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**AN: Keep or Delete?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2** _Hold On_

High school is best described as an unstarted artwork. Everyone is a blank canvas when they arrive as a freshman, and everyone spends their time trying to find their place, wanting to be complete. For those who easily fold to the opinions and whims of others, or have dreams to be popular, are doomed. They let outside impressions or people, fill them up with ideals of what a perfect person is to fit appropriately, but by the end of their senior year, they become unrecognizable._ Its sad..._

I like to think I already know how my life will turn out. From the day I managed to unlock my ability, I had to learn a great deal of life lessons a young person usually did not acquaint themselves with till many years later. I was taught to keep my emotions in check and to know myself better than anyone so I'd always be in control. This self awareness that I had of myself made people's desires and opinions of me worthless. In fact, I don't care about how people feel in general to be honest. All that matters is my abuela now so I'd be damned before I let the views of my teenage society change me... but my abuelo's death on the other hand, did leave its mark.

I have no desire to socialize with people like I once did. I'm athletic, but I don't like sports. I'm smart, but I'd rather not raise my hand to participate in class, etcetera and etcetera. I just wanted to grow up and move on but this year looked like it was going to be another pain in my ass. Puck had all my classes, Sue recruited some new blonde cheerleader named _Kelsey?_ ..._Quinn? **Yes! Quinn!**_; her... well she would not stop hounding me about joining the Cheerios.

_This place is annoying..._

The only remotely good thing that happened today was the fact that Dave Karofsky had switched his hateful advances from me to a fairy looking boy with a terrible fashion sense. I mean I wanted to feel bad for the boy once I watched him get slushied three times within one hour, or when he had his book pushed out of his hands and his body shoved into the lockers but eh... I would not interject myself in someone else's problems. I didn't believe in the quote "_With great power comes great responsibility_". I wasn't Spider-Man and after what happened to my abuelo, I felt like being a hero would most certainly kill me.

_Or Puck would with his incessant chatter..._

"So I was swimming in her pool and shes like what are you doing here? And I'm like, I'm the pool boy-"

I rest my head on my folded arms that lay on my desk. I could care less how rude it might seem to anyone looking since Noah was currently talking... or well he was talking to himself because I hadn't said one word to him or even indicated I wanted his presence. _Speaking of presence..._ My thoughts can't seem to stop trailing back to the tall blonde that could evade my time stop. It bothered me all day even though I hadn't caught sight of the mysterious blonde since this morning. Her doing what no one ever could baffled me to the point of hysteria.

_How did she do it or was it me? Was I losing my touch? Could I even lose my touch? Was my training for naught?_

I had no answers to my questions and no one to talk to about it. This made me angry because I thought about my grandpa and how'd he'd be able to guide me, but he couldn't because he was dead. Dead because of some person he didn't even know. A scowl formed on my face as I grumpily sat in my chair. There was no answers to my overwhelming questions, just silence.

_Wait a minute..._

I blinked when I recognized just how quiet it was and groaned in disdain when I saw that I had stopped time unbeknowestly. My grandpa would be disappointed in my relapse which in turn made me feel ashamed of myself. I rubbed my temples in aggravation and cursed myself to kingdom come. Once I finished mentally berating myself over my lack of control, I looked over to Puck. His mouth was opened comically since he was frozen in mid-conversation with himself. I had no idea what he was yapping his gums about in the first place so I rolled my eyes at the clueless jock and looked over to the clock. I had ten more minutes of class left till lunch so I just got my things and walked out. I bypassed the occasional student who stood frozen mid-step in the hall.

"_**Hey!?**_", a voice called and I froze like how the rest of the people were around. I turned my head slightly and saw the blonde I had thought about all day, looking confused and a little... Happy? in the middle of the corridor.

_Really... Again?_

"Is everyone playing a very good game of freeze tag again?", she asked blankly and before I could even formulate anything to say she kept speaking.  
"Because no one ever asks me to play", she said in a very off put tone. "Can I play? Are you it? Or am I it and I just didn't know it?", she said excitedly and I just stood there staring like a moron.

_Uh..._

"You don't speak much do you? or is it because you don't understand me? _Oi, fala ingles_? Wait... are you Brazilian or Hispanic? I don't want to be racist, that's bullying and I will not allow it", she babbled and I frowned. I aimed to say something but the sounds of people walking around resounded in my ears. How could five minutes pass without me realizing it?

I closed my mouth with a click and just turned away. For a second time that day, I walked away from the blonde, ignoring the burning gaze she aimed at my back. I kept roaming the halls aimlessly, dodging Coach Sue who always lurked around the halls for targets to cure her need to scare or demean someone every five seconds. I walked near the cafeteria and waited for the lunch bell to ring. When it did, I was the first through the doors. The cafeteria lady shook her head at me in amusement since I was always first since last year, before handing me the sandwich I asked for. I nodded politely my thanks but carried my tray out of the lunch room the same time everyone began flooding in. I side-stepped an angry looking Puck, ignoring his tirade on how I ditched him without a word and how he'd find out one day how was so quick. I rolled my eyes at that because I highly doubted that.

_Ditching him would mean I was with him to begin with, but that's not the case..._

I gave Puck an insufferable look as he aimed to follow my every step. I tried to out-walk him but he kept up his stalking. It took some time but I was able to finally lose the persistent baboon that couldn't take a hint. I sighed in relief as I made my way to the front doors that lead outside. I didn't sit at the benches like the Cheerios or under the bleachers like those delinquent girls who smoked too much. I found a nice tree near the field and sat under it. I pulled out my Gatorade from my backpack, set it aside, popped in my ear buds, pressed play on my iPod and began to eat my food. When I was done eating, I just sat back with my eyes closed. I don't know how long I sat there for but eventually I began to truly relax.

I hummed to myself and bobbed my head to the soft music playing in my ears. I felt at peace until I felt someone plopping down next to me and it causes me to jump. I rip the earbuds out of my ears to look at the person who had the audacity to sit next to me and find the very same blonde I evaded minutes ago, beaming at me. I sort of stare at her in shock but after a second I blink and try to pack up my stuff. The blonde catches my wrist and I flinch again because no one really touched me or well _**I** _wouldn't allow it. The blonde didn't seem fazed at my behavior but she did give me a meaningful stare.

"Did I sleep with your boyfriend or something? because you're always running away", she asks bluntly and I gape for a solid minute.

_What..._

"If I did, its probably because he came on to me and I'm hot so if he was hot, I probably decided to be hot together. Like a hot sandwich",  
she says with a shrug and I'm still flabbergasted. She continues as if I'm not gaping like a fish. "If it makes you feel better we can all make an even better sandwich. I like girls too, you know ? ...and you're so _**hot**_", she states and I kind of don't know how to respond.

_How does one respond to any of that?_

I sit there contemplating what to say and she just waits. When I don't say anything still she starts talking again. I look up to her with a blank expression.

"Are you deaf? I know sign language", she says as she signs with her hands and I shake myself out of my speechlessness.

"Why are you here?", I blurt out and she smiles.

"_**Finally** _she speaks!", she says excitedly and I just stare at her. The blonde isn't bothered by my silence and flashes me another radiant smile. "and... well when everything seems to stand still around here _**you** _have been the only _**thing** _moving. I see you all the time but today was the first time you saw _**me.**_ Its like we were fated you know?", she says easily and I feel an odd sensation in my stomach at her claim to me. It's like its tied in knots and that is such a foreign feeling for me so I panic.

_I don't do this... Interacting... Talking... I shouldn't be here with her. She could find out its me making time stop_

I force myself to stand up quickly, sling my backpack over my shoulder before walking away. I feel her gaze burning holes into the back of my head but I refuse to stop moving. I don't look back until I'm near the entrance of the school and even then the blonde is still looking in my direction. I quickly look away and decide that I'm in much need of a free day.

_Its not like my abuela would care..._

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**AN: Brittany is chipping away Santana's guarded heart... I like it :) Do you?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3** _Somebody To Die For_

From the second I blink open my eyes I know immediately that I'm in a dream. The first indicator that I'm not awake is that I'm at a _beach_. I'd never willingly go there since I've always hated the place. It wasn't because I didn't like to swim or that the sun made my skin turn to a deep caramel color when I was exposed to it long enough. _In fact_, I liked swimming and occasionally tanning. I even thought the beach was beautiful when the sunlight hit the sand and made it sparkle like a thousand tiny jewels, but the problem was that it was _too_ open and there were _way_ too many people roaming around for me to feel at ease or comfortable... The second indicator that I'm very much so in the realm of dreams, is that my grandpa is standing right across from me. He stares at me with warm patient eyes and I stare longingly right back at him. Its like a shot to the heart each glance I spare him but I continue my self-torture and stare and stare and stare at him till my eyes water. He watches me quietly for long moments before he sends me a kind smile and tells me that I'm losing myself. At this, I frown.

_What?_

He asked me to stop dwelling on things I'd never understand and my frown only deepened. I had no clue about what he could possibly be talking about until a flash of blue eyes that rivaled the blue sky above pierced through my thoughts and I faltered. My heart rate picked up as my conflicted emotions slipped from my control and I became unbalanced. The soft breeze blowing about stopped, no longer did I hear the sound of seagulls chirping or the crashing of the waves against the shore. Everything had just seemingly stopped and I watched as my abuelo shook his head in disappointment before he to froze in time with the rest of the world.

_No no no_

I ran to him but every step I took, he got farther and farther away. I cried out in outrage and still tried to reach him anyway till I tripped and fell into the warm sand. I struggled to get up but it was like the floor was suddenly swallowing me up.

_**When everything seems to stand still around here, you have been the only thing moving...**_

I heard her voice echo around as I sunk into the sand. I screamed for her to shut up and I closed my eyes. Her voice still continued as if I hadn't spoken. I wanted to pull out my hair in frustration because even in my own head I couldn't escape the blonde beauty.

_**I see you all the time but today was the first time you saw me...**_

At this point the sand was reaching my neck and I stopped struggling because it only seemed to drag me deeper in the crushing hold of the quicksand. Her voice kept repeating itself over and over, and I just screamed for it all to stop. I didn't want this... This was just a stupid dream!

_**We're fated...**_

_SHUT UP!_

I woke up with a start, my sheets clutched to my chest and my heart pounding erratically. I rubbed my eyes restlessly then worked on easing my breath so my time stop wouldn't activate involuntarily. I needed to be in control at all times because when I wasn't, I felt like I was letting my abuelo down just like I had in this passing nightmare, so with everything I was taught and every ounce of self-restraint I had built up, I fought to control myself now. I didn't want to disappoint my grandpa any more than I already had.

_Breathe..._

I inhaled a deep breath and let it go in a long exhale. Once I managed to calm down as much as I could, my heart rate slowed and I laid back into my bed bonelessly. I laid there for who knows how long before dragging myself up and out of bed. I went through my morning routine of stepping in the shower, cleaning myself, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed.

**_Its like we were fated..._**

I sigh a miserable sound at my traitorous thoughts as I head downstairs. My abuela is up and making breakfast but upon my arrival she doesn't say anything insulting. I blink my tired eyes at her now turned back but decide to let it go. When she finally turns to me again, she wears an expression I'm not use to seeing so I look away. I'm almost certain I'm still in my nightmare because this is too surreal. Her looking at me with any other expression then a snarl or frown nearly never happened ever since grandpa died.

A plate gets dropped in front of me and I hesitantly look up at my grandmother. The expression she had given me just seconds ago is still there but subdued. She pats my head like she used to once upon a time and orders me to eat.

"It will get cold _cara de basura_", she says with her usual insult and at that I feel at ease. I eat my food silently and she turns to head back upstairs.

* * *

When I reach the school fence my mood goes from contemplative to complicated. The blonde who has been plaguing not only my dreams but my thoughts as well, was waiting at the entrance and upon spotting me she made her way over to me like she had been over the past four days.

_I see this year was going to be more of a hassle then I ever imagined..._

"_**Santana!**_", she calls and I nod my head at her because I quickly learned that if I didn't acknowledge her presence somehow, she'd touch me to get my attention. I didn't _want_ her touching me. It always made me feel weird when she did... and she had- she had _really_ soft hands...

My face tinges red and I hang onto the straps of my book bag for dear life as I walk through the opened school doors, my face glued to the direction of the floor. The blonde next to me seems oblivious to my plight and continues to walk side by side with me as she had the last couple of days.

"So what are you doing this weekend _Santana Lopez_?", she asks in a ridiculous Spanish accent and I shrug noncommittally. Brittany pouts in my direction at my lackluster answer. Before I can even dig up the courage to mutter a word, someone... or more like _Quinn_, starts walking on my other side. She was another blonde cheerleader I couldn't seem to get rid of...

I feel a tug of anxiousness at being forced to be in the middle of the two persistent blondes but I put a cap on my volatile emotions immediately before it can get out of hand. The same why I didn't feel like having Brittany touch me, was the same way I didn't want to stop time and have Brittany yammering about our supposed intertwined fate.

_I hear enough of it in my subconscious as is..._

I groan irritably but the two blondes don't bat a glance in my direction. I decide to pretend they're not in my presence and it works for awhile till they start talking about me. Never one to to off my guard, I listen to the two blonde talk about me as if I'm not there.

"Yeah I was _just_ asking her what she was going to be up to today. I have practice after school but other then that, I'm free for the rest of the weekend", Brittany said excitedly. Quinn sent Brittany a warm smile before patting my shoulder much to my annoyance. I was five seconds from stopping time and just high-tailing it... Yeah that got rid of Quinn and Brittany could always allude my time stop, but I knew if I ran at top speed, I'd be in the clear. Brittany might have had the advantage of having longer legs and she was also physically fit but she wasn't much of a sprinter and that was something I excelled in. Especially with these two hounding me after every period.

"Santana's coming to my party, right S?", Quinn said confidently and I stopped walking abruptly.

"**No**...", I answered firmly and Quinn quickly thrust her fist in the air.

"_**Yes!**_ I got you to say something directly to me!", she exclaimed and I kind of shied away since people were beginning to stare.

Brittany snickered at the shorter blonde's enthusiasm before taking mercy on me and clued Quinn into the fact that we now had an audience. Said ecstatic cheerleader quickly dropped the grin on her face and turned to the gawking students with a scowl. Everyone paled at the blonde's icy glare.

"And what are you all staring at?! _**MOVE!**_", she commanded and everyone scurried to either look away or walk ahead. The weird cloud-shaped hair kid named Glen or Ben? even ran into a wall in his haste.

Quinn and Brittany laughed outright and I pursued my lips when I felt it twitching into a smile. My earlier nightmare came to the forefront and I frowned.

_Ugh I __**am**__ losing myself... You are not __**normal**__ Santana! You don't get the luxury of snickering and acting like a child with __**'friends'**__. Controlling your emotions is key to maintaining a good life and keeping your ability a secret._

I debated with myself mentally so much that I hadn't notice how quiet it was until a hand was turning me around. I tensed and turned to see Brittany beaming down at me. My face flushed and I averted my gaze elsewhere, her hand was still on my arm. It felt like her touch was scorching my skin and invading my body.

"Look time stopped again", she said simply and I just stared. I didn't know what to say when she was so close and her hand was still sending tingles throughout my body but that didn't stop my mouth from moving on its own accord.

"How are you doing that?", I blurt out and Brittany looks perplexed at first then her eyes glazes over as she gets lost in thought. Her hand slips away from my arm and I exhale a relieved sigh. My stomach was beginning to feel so airy I thought I'd throw up.

"If I am stopping time, I didn't know I could but then again maybe I needed someone **_worth _**stopping time for", she said easily and again the fluttering in my stomach starts up.

_Ugh... that's not what I meant_...

"I told you! We're-"

"We're fated... _**Yes **_so you say", I mumble and Brittany just grins before turning back to a frozen Quinn.

"Man... I wonder how long this time stop will be for, I need Quinn to walk me to class", she says with a frown and I shrug noncommittally. I want to just walk away but Brittany looks to me with such emotion that I again have to avert my gaze. Looking at her for too long always made my heart flutter which was _weird_...

"It'll go away in a couple minutes or so", I finally say before turning around and heading down the hall. I only briefly glance back to call to the tall blonde. "Your class is over here", I tell her beginning to walk away again.

"Thanks!", she calls as she rushes to catch up. I don't say anything the whole way to her classroom and she doesn't mind.

* * *

When I get home from school there's a note from my abuela saying she's gone to work, and for me not to die in the house... or at least not while she's gone and not able to laugh at it. I snort at my grandma's morbid sense humor and head to the living room to lay on the couch, just when I start to really relax the house phone rings. I ignore it but it continues to ring two more times, I have half the mind to stop time for as long I can just to stop its incessant ringing but I think better of it. I get up to answer the phone but its all the way in the kitchen, so by the time I drag myself over to it, I miss the call. I click the speaker button and wait for the voice-mail to pick up. When it does, the voice I hear through the speakers makes a scowl appear on my face.

"Mami it's Leo, I was just checking in on you because its been awhile. I hope Santana hasn't caused too much trouble this month, I know how she is... My daughter just can't keep herself out of trouble", my father snorts at his own comment and I want to punch his arrogant nose in. "Anyway, Maribel would like it if you could drive Santana back home for the weekend. I'll be on a business trip but her mother still wants her to come to the house. It's been years and she misses her-"

**Message Deleted.**

_Oh now she misses me..._

I remove my finger from the control pad and take a calming breath. When that doesn't quell the swirling anger building in my chest, I head off to my room. I switch out of my school clothes and find a more sporty attire. Once I'm redressed, I put on my running shoes, and head back downstairs. I leave a note to my grandma saying I'm out '_exercising_' because I don't know when I'll be back. I put in my ear buds, put the volume up just enough for me to hear the music but not loud enough to block out all the sounds around as I jog out of my house. As soon as my feet slap against the pavement my jog turns into a sprint.

I don't have a particular destination or route, I just keep moving forward. Everything around me disappears for awhile and I feel at ease again. My mind flashes back to the times when I'd jog with my grandpa some mornings and I smiled. My earlier swirling emotions disappearing as I lost myself in my task of running and breathing. It felt good to just lose myself in an activity without actually risking the release of my ability, so I kept running and running till I was out of the slums of Lima Heights Adjacent and in more of the rural parts of Lima.

I don't know how long, I ran for until I eventually stopped at a crosswalk in front of a busy intersection. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and continued jogging in place to keep my blood pumping. I hum to myself as I wait for the light to turn red and watch absentmindedly as cars zoom pass. I look ahead to the next two streets over and see a female girl on a dirt bike. She's wearing black and blue racing gear that's splattered with dirt here and there but the words '_B. Pierce_' is prominent on the side of her arm sleeve and helmet. I stop jogging in place to focus and get a better look.

_It couldn't be..._

I watch transfixed as the rider navigates through the traffic effortlessly until she stops in the lane that's supposed to turn on the street I'm located. I continue to stare, wishing I had x-ray vision to figure out if it really was Brittany underneath that helmet or not. My eyebrows furrow in confusion.

_It can't be her, why would a cheerleader be on a dirt bike? I'm pretty sure that's socially incorrect..._

My thoughts are interrupted by a car speeding around the corner to outrun the yellow light, the same time another car takes off. Then its like everything happens pretty slowly, I hear cars honk crazily and a loud bang. This prompts me to look away from the motorcyclists and forward to the two cars colliding in the intersection. Other vehicles were swerving out of harms way and the motorcyclist was trying to maneuver out of the way as well but a turning car clipped her. I unconsciously clenched my eyes shut.

_Its not her. Its not her. Its not __**HER**__!_

The sound of skidding and more horns going off makes me snap open my eyes. I watch as the motorcyclist loses control of her bike and she's thrown off it. People in stores begin rushing out and yelling and everything is just so very loud and I'm sort of panicking. I know I shouldn't use my ability but my heart isn't listening to my head and I end up stopping time with a sense of urgency. I run into the middle of the disaster of the car jam and jump over crushed hoods. I try not to focus on the bleeding man that looked like he was in the middle of trying to pry himself out of his seat or the shrapnel that was frozen mid flight into the air. I squeeze through the multitude of cars and bypass the crowd of people that stood stock-still in place to find the motorcyclist further away.

I walk around a man that stands rooted in the direction of the prone motorcyclist in a running position. I try to psyche myself into thinking everything is not my problem, that I shouldn't be worried, that logically that woman motorcyclist couldn't be the pesky blonde who followed me around for the past five days simply because she can always allude my time stop and this woman was in a fixed in her spot on the ground.

_But even if it were Brittany, not even she could allude __**death**_.

I groan at my morbid thoughts and stop my approach towards the very still motorcyclists. I stare at the figure for long moments before deciding to leave and let fate deal with the situation. I had interfered enough. I turned my back and nearly released my hold on time but a quiet groan and then a very familiar voice caused my blood to freeze.

"_**Ouch...**_"

I turned to see the motorcyclists slowly turn on their side as they took off there helmet sluggishly revealing the person I feared. My heart plummeted in my chest and without my consent I found myself drawing closer to a very dazed Brittany. When I stood over her sprawled out form she turned her head to me with a curious expression that immediately morphed into a happy one, despite the fact that her head was bleeding slightly. I continued to watch her and she did the same to me as well before she struggled to sit upright with another groan.

_I let her get hurt..._

My heart clenched in my chest with an unfamiliar twinge of regret at that particular assessment. Though foreign, the feeling of regret filling me at the moment hurt worst than when I disappointed my grandpa. I wanted to help the blonde suddenly but I realized I was letting my emotions control me so I snuffed out all my feelings altogether.

"_**Its you**_", she said after another bout of silence and I craned my head inquiringly. Brittany just let out a strained laugh as she featured to the frozen chaos around us. I looked at her alarmed before I schooled my features. Brittany didn't look the least bit put-off by my expression because she continued.

"The instant I saw the cars ready to crash. I wished to every unicorn god I could think of that time would stop but it didn't... but the second I come to, time _has_ stopped and you're here like **_every _**other time", she said gruffly before she coughed to clear her throat. "**_And! _**yet again we're the only one unfrozen in time **_together_**", she said firmly and I just stayed silent.

I wanted to refute the blondes statement but a throbbing started to pull at my retinas. I winced but the pain only got worse. I felt a buzzing start from the back of my temple the same time Brittany called out to me.

"_**Your nose is bleeding!**_".

I could've slapped myself for my stupidity. _How many minutes had passed whilst in this frozen moment?_ I released the stop in time and things roared back to life the same time my eyes closed and all the sounds around thinned out. All was silent and my mind went black.

"_**SANTANA!**_"

* * *

**AN: Finding a way to end this story within six to seven chapters is so hard but it is my goal nonetheless(...don't be outraged, I _did_ say it was a short fic) lol but any who... Thoughts ?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4**_ Trouble's What You're In_

An annoying beeping sound stirred me from my sleep but I didn't wake fully. My body felt sluggish and tired so I just laid where I was, listening to the beeping noise echoing in staccato. I inhaled deeply to let out a sigh and instantly wrinkled my nose at the smell of antiseptic in the air. My eyelids felt heavy and my brain muddled so instead of looking around like I should, I kept on laying down in my semi-conscious state. Time passed languidly by and I wasn't feeling any better than earlier. I didn't think I'd ever want to get up from the comfortable spot I was in, until someone rested their head on my stomach. I was so very tired but the unknown weight on my abdomen piqued my interest.

"If you _**dare** _leave me after how much effort I put into keeping you alive, I will personally drag you from the depths of hell to kill you a second time", my grandmother's concerned voice filtered into my mind and with haste I willed myself to awaken.

The first thing I noticed when my swimming vision began to steady itself and focus was that the lights were off, or dimmed... but I still had to blink open my eyes a few times to adjust to my settings. I looked ahead and saw bare walls and more importantly that I was in a bed that certainly didn't belong to me. For a second I became wary of my whereabouts when I couldn't recognize where I was, but at the pulling in one of my arms, I noticed I was hooked up to an IV drip.

_I'm in the hospital..._

"Abuela?", I called out gruffly, finally looking down at the woman in question. The elder woman shot her head up from its position on my stomach and settled her relieved gaze onto me. She hadn't shown me much emotion since my abuelo passed so her staring at me now with another emotion other then disdain or indifference kind of bothered me. I found my gaze averting elsewhere on their own accord.

**_"You stupid girl what were you thinking!?"_**, she snapped and I barely flinched. Her being angry with me was something I was used to. "I mean honestly did you not learn from your abuelo's mistake? I don't understand what it is about your time ability that gives you Lopez's a hero complex", she scoffed and my eyes blanched. She was still laying down the Snix juice on me but the only thing I heard was.

_Your time ability... She knows._

Her words reverberate in my mind and I cant help but gape. "You knew...", I cut her off and my abuela throws me a stern look that I promptly ignore. I'm filled with disbelief and dare I say anger. "You knew the _**entire** _time! and didn't say anything grandma!", I shouted and I think this was the most I've ever spoken to her in the past three years.

My grandma bristled at my outburst and growled for me to shut up. She looked at the door to make sure no nurse or doctors would come rushing in before she flicked my ear harshly. I hissed in pain and she only gave me a pleased look as she folded her arms against her chest. I threw her a sullen expression and she merely rolled her eyes at me as she stood straighter. I continued to pout; to which she scoffed at before she started to explain herself quietly. Her eyes trailed over warily to the door a few times as she spoke.

"Of course I knew, your grandpa and I met because he used his ability to save me...", She answered vaguely. "-And I didn't see a point in telling you when you acted so secretive about your own power. Marcelo thought it was best if I waited for you to say something first so I did. I waited for you to fess up but the years went by, your grandpa died and by then I just didn't care. I didn't want to know anything anymore because it was too hard... you remind me too much of him most days", she finished somberly and I looked at my grandmother with new eyes.

My mouth opened and closed like a fish. "...I-I"

Every time I thought I could speak, I really couldn't and my grandma scowled at my stammering. I blinked stupidly and cleared my throat after a couple moments of silence but as I sat there, the door to my room pushed open. My body went rigid and I hastily looked up from my grandmother to who walked in.

_Oh my..._

A myriad of emotions I thought were long since dead, exploded within myself as I stared at Brittany. She had a band-aid on her cheek and some stitches in the area over her left eyebrow. Her left hand was wrapped in an ACE bandage and a large band-aid was placed on her elbow. She smiled good-naturedly and the heart monitor to my left spluttered. I heard my grandmother take a few steps back and I looked away from the blonde in front of me to look at my abuela. Her back was to me as she looked outside the hospital window and before I could say anything she began walking away.

_**"Wait grandma! Where are you going!?"**_, I questioned and my grandma kept walking. She waved her hand in farewell without looking back, side-stepped a confused Brittany, and once she got to the door and pulled it open; she spoke again.

"I'll turn in the release forms. Hurry home cara de basura", she stated nonchalantly before walking out and closing the door. I stared at the door incredulously for long moments.

_What the heck?_

"Did your grandma just call you garbage face?", Brittany questioned and I blinked, remembering the blonde was still there. The blonde that had fallen off her bike because I stalled.

"Are you okay?", my mouth spewed out the question before I could think better of it and I pinched the bridge of my nose in disdain. I really needed to calm my impulses around her.

Brittany snorted at my question and walked over to the seat next to my bed. She plopped into it with a grunt before settling me with a dazzling smile.

"You're the one that had a bloody nose and has been out cold for a day. I just have road burn and a minor sprain... I fall off my bike all the time, these injuries are nothing but a mere scratch", she stated in a faux haughty tone. I knew she was trying to make light of the situation but as I looked at her, I could only feel regret; which was such a foreign feeling to me. Most of the time I lacked empathy or at least I tried hard not to feel much of anything.

_Not that I really have a choice..._

My ability is triggered by my intense emotions. Because of that fact, with my abuelo's help, I deduced that if a person had attachments with a person or object, one would grow feelings for said attachment. If you had feelings about something, it meant you cared and if you cared enough, it would become a liability; a weakness and therefore meant you now held less control, so I kept to myself and my emotions reclusive. Better yet, I didn't express any feelings for any other person other than myself or my abuela in general, my emotions were nonexistent. I lost all contact with others and kept running away from the burdens of human relationships because with complete isolation there comes a feeling almost as if one were made of air, untouchable... No room for feelings, just control. It's safe, it's easy but with _Brittany..._

I can no longer ignore my feelings or her presence as I once would. With just one touch she brings back the reality that I am present here, and that I can feel for people. I can feel for her.

**_You're losing control..._**

I ignore the nagging voice echoing in my mind. I try to focus on my breathing but my eyes catch a glimpse of Brittany's injuries again and I flinch.

"I should've stopped time sooner", I stated morosely and Brittany frowned.

"I'd be **_dead_ **if you hadn't stopped it at all", she says seriously as she stood and sat on the edge of my cot. I eyed her weirdly but she just continued staring at me. "I owe you my life", she whispers as she leans in and I move back but her hands hold my face.

_Uh..._

I feel that odd fluttering sensation in my stomach again and I try so hard not to implode with all the jittery emotions filling me. I look at Brittany with wide eyes and ask her what is she doing? But she doesn't answer, she leans further into my personal space and my heart nearly beats itself out of my chest. Her lips hover centimeters over mine and right when I think I'm going to pass out from the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins, Brittany captures my lips in a kiss. The annoying heart monitor that was just going on a fritz with my racing pulse, goes quiet. I don't hear the overhead lights buzzing or anyone walking outside my door. It's completely quiet and the only sensation I feel is Brittany. All I know is Brittany. She's all around me, wrapping me up in her scent. She's filling up my pores, entering my bloodstream. I am _her_ and she is _me_.

_Jesus Christ!_

The firm grip I hold over time evades me. I don't know how long my lips shift against her supple ones. Everything blurs together until the need to breathe becomes necessary, so I grip onto her hands to signal for her attention. Brittany pulls back, but not far away and like a switch the once quiet room becomes noisy. My heart monitor is beeping at a regular pace as I catch my breath. Brittany pulls up my chin and I have to stare at her. I'm at a loss at what to say.

_What does one say when another girl kisses you? ...In fact why did I kiss her back!?_

The door opening causes me to flinch slightly but it's just a doctor. He's too busy reading his clipboard to notice Brittany leisurely scooting away from me. When he does look up, he just goes through the motions of telling me what happened when I was out cold and asking me questions about the incident. I barely can focus on him with the kiss replaying over and _over_ in my mind but I eventually tell him what he wants to hear and by the end of the debriefing, he tells me to go on ahead home and get some rest. He calls a nurse to disengage the IV drip and once I get the all clear, he walks out. Once he's gone, Brittany is back in my personal space but she doesn't kiss me. Instead she helps me out of my cot though I don't need the help. I need space so I do what I do best. The second we reach the hospital doors, I stop time and run off.

Brittany didn't follow me but I continued running like a possessed woman for what felt like hours. I was distressed. I didn't have a particular destination but I kept it moving until my legs became tired and I stopped. My chest heaved erratically with every rough breath I exhaled and I bent over to wheeze out gasps.

_Breathe Santana. Breathe..._

I closed my eyes and trained my mind onto the rapid beat of my heart. I focused on the sound, I took a deep breathe and exhaled it evenly. I calmed the frantic pumping and breathed out a sigh. I stood up straighter and looked around to see a sign with flowers underneath it. Realizing where I unintentionally ran to, I grimaced.

_**Rest in Peace Marcelo Lopez**_

I looked away from the sign and I tried to imagine my grandfather doing the impossible. I scowled at the image and shoved my hand in my pockets before walking away.

_I thought you had all the answers I guess I was wrong..._

* * *

**AN: The seed has been planted now lets see if it will grow :D**

**-**_Tatter_


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